AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Yes."
"That would be good." Wiz's hand was on the doorknob.
"Okay. Text Ryan when you're done, and you can come over if you feel comfortable with that. If not, I'll make you one and bring it over to you."
"Okay." Wiz escaped into the garage.
They both sat there for a few moments, staring at the door. Ryan tried to lock down his rage again. When Erin got up, he followed her down the drive, kicking rocks, trying to work off the anger.
"I've got to pick some stuff up if we're going to have pizza for three. Come along? I'm taking Smoky." Erin stood at the garage door.
"A chance to ride in that car? I’ll pay for the groceries." It would take his mind off Wiz for a while. Ryan followed her into the garage, admiring the big silver beast, and slid into the passenger seat. Dang, the vehicle was prime. Every piece fit together perfectly. The seat was comfortable but firm enough for aggressive driving, and the engine rumbled.
Erin drove sedately down the gravel drive to the highway. She shot him a grin and stomped on the accelerator. The engine roared, and they took off like a bat out of hell, the force shoving him back in his seat. What a fantastic ride. Erin wore a huge grin, matching his.
Once they were at the speed limit, Erin whooped. "I love this car!"
"It's awesome! What's the redline?" He admired the smooth paint and perfect gauges.
"The torque flattens after 3600, but it will go higher, like to 6000 rpm."
"Have you ever clocked it?" He'd love to have a muscle car or an old truck. But if he had a Smoky, he'd probably get a lot of tickets, too.
"Michael did. He got zero to 60 in 5.5 sec. He could have pushed it faster, but he didn't want to blow the engine."
"Can't blame him there. She's a beauty." He ran his eyes over the car, then the woman next to him. Erin matched the car perfectly.
She laughed. "It's a he. His name is Smoky."
"Huh. Most cars are women."
She snorted. "When Michael first fired the engine, he smoked so badly his dad called the fire department, thus the name. But I think of him as a sexy silver fox." Erin pulled into the bank, making her deposit and getting change for the next day.
They drove slowly through town, then pulled behind a building with a sign proclaiming "Deb's Bakery." The building wasn't huge, but it was two stories high, with beige siding and a red metal roof. It looked like the typical concrete block construction but prettied up. The second floor was smaller, with a tall, pointed roof and windows on at least three sides. The turret-like structure would make a great sniper post. Erin needed one on her shop.
Erin slid out. "Come on, you can meet Deb."
Ryan followed her into a desert-hot, but absolutely delicious-smelling, commercial kitchen. The scent of cake and bread baking made his mouth water; the heat dried it immediately. He followed Erin around cooling racks, huge mixers, some long metal tables, and up to a tall table where a short, curvy woman stood with a pastry bag in hand, decorating a huge square cake. Her dark blonde ponytail bobbed every time she swirled another decoration on the expanse of white. That cake had to be a meter square.
"Deb, I brought Ryan to meet you."
Deb turned, looked him up and down, and flashed a grin at Erin. Then she met his eyes with a mischievous smile. "Nice to meet you, Ryan. I'd shake your hand, but I'm in the middle of decorating a wedding cake, and I really can't stop."
"No problem. It's nice to meet you too." Deb's slightly rounded face, light blue eyes, and brilliant red lipstick on generous lips gave her a pin-up girl vibe.
Deb turned back to her cake. "Do you need anything but your normal order, Erin?"
"I need three of your cupcakes. Those new ones you gave me at the farmer's market were amazing." Erin put a hand on her stomach.
Deb chuckled. "Aren't they? They've been selling like hotcakes. One woman told me they were better than sex."
Erin choked. Ryan grinned. "I think that's an excellent name—Sex in a Cup... cake."
It was Deb's turn to choke. She turned away from them—probably so she wouldn't spit on the cake. "Sexy and funny. Erin, this one's a keeper."
Heat rushed into Ryan's cheeks. It was one thing to get those kinds of comments from the little old ladies but from someone younger?
"Deb, you're embarrassing Ryan." Erin smirked.
